I don't know, it has surely impacted his fitness levels has it not?
Virgil van Dijk | Performances
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
He doesn't look the same player since injury
I think that’s the bare bones of it - he doesn’t know how to defend in his new, broken state, which leaves these chasms that were formerly double-dares for strikers that they would mentally collapse when facing because he could back up his invitations with concise and swift defensive actions.
At his age, he might not adjust, and if he doesn’t, he’ll have a lot more of these tough nights unless his managers make the adjustments around him to compensate for what he’s lost.
To me, this shows how good/bad his defensive mind is when the athleticism is stripped away - truly great players adapt and compensate for fading athletic attributes, and VVD is going to have to do the same if he’s to be a permanent fixture in at least best CB’s of the PL era, let alone in contention amongst the best of the best.
He didn’t get his leg ”cut in half” did he? He walked off the pitch.
Has his ACL injury affected him? Certainly.
Yeah not heard a peep from Souness or Carragher about VVD. They’ve got plenty to say about Martinez who’s been one of our best players this season.
Maguire peaked longer than this guy.
Well a man could afford some embroidery from time to time could he not?
Ye it’s a joke. Everyone hates us..: obviously we can tell that. Where are all the pundits talking about how bad Liverpool are being this season? Whenever we’re doing bad we get a lot of stick and even when we’re doing good there all saying it won’t last. There’s a lot of bias people.
Always makes me think about that comment about that Leicester-keeper in the 90s - Zeljko Kalac. It was something like: athletic, great distribution, great reflexes and a giant. He has all the attributes of a great goalkeeper, if he only could catch the ball.
How's Konaté doing?
He’s been injured all season. Back in training now. He was pretty good last season but he does have lapses in concentration at times. Matip is better on the ball/reading the game, Konate is better physically and faster.
Thank you. Do you know if they're the same injuries that he had during his time at RBL? Just wondering if he has overcome those now.
I think it was a knee injury. Not sure if that’s what he had at Leipzig? It happened in our final pre season game.
He is so bad.
Finished.
He burned so brightly for like 2.2 seasons. Definitely has a claim for GOAT EPL CB
Oaf.
Best defender in the world you say? I'd be annoyed if I conceded that second goal myself.
He's worse than rio when he was at QPR
Hehe
Is that his first ever loss at Anfield in PL ?
It’s strange because nothing comes through the middle against them anyway. He seems to get inside his own head when the balls coming from wide, as if he’s doubting what he should do
Ghost defending.
He's like a fifa player stock on jockeying.
He's like a fifa player stock on jockeying.
Certainly the shortest spell at the top a supposed GOAT has had.
I hope this is one of those joke posts
Unfortunately we can't unsee or unhear those best ever claims now there's proof he was a flash in the pan
Was absolutely bizarre how the media wanted so desperately to declare him the best defender ever in the PL.
This is a league of Stam, Terry, Rio, Vidic, Kompany…. Hell Carvalho had a much better PL career, over a much longer period.
This is a league of Stam, Terry, Rio, Vidic, Kompany…. Hell Carvalho had a much better PL career, over a much longer period.
Nah, not even top 5. Be lucky to make a top ten.
Ferdinand, Terry, Adams did it for a decade not 2 seasons.
Carvalho was a fantastic CB to be fair, always rated him above Terry.
Id add Sol Campbell to that list.
He looked good because of Liverpools 3 holding midfielders. Now that teams attacked them, he looks average. Rio was world class playing behind Cleverly and Gibson.
I was literally going to post this. They were so desperate to shoehorn him amongst the greatest after 2 years. A few of those pundits won’t ever talk about him again.
Collecting a lot of wooshes in here tonight
Absolutely awful defending yet again for that second goal. Literally stands there and watches it happen - doesnt try and tackle, block, or even just vaguely move in the way. Just watches as the guy brings it down and pokes it past him. Not sure if that's physical or mental, but the guy looks shot this season.
The game has changed since the glory days of Mourinho and parking the bus won you leagues.
Being a CB in a team where front foot pressing and keeping yourself quite open in a lot of games is harder for top defenders to shine, and he did for around 2.5 years. If TAA is really as shite at the back as people love to believe, then VVD deserves partial credit for Liverpool being formidable.
Today was the first ever loss VVD has experienced at Anfield in the league. That is some record.
Being a CB in a team where front foot pressing and keeping yourself quite open in a lot of games is harder for top defenders to shine, and he did for around 2.5 years. If TAA is really as shite at the back as people love to believe, then VVD deserves partial credit for Liverpool being formidable.
Today was the first ever loss VVD has experienced at Anfield in the league. That is some record.
Best defender in EPL history...
I’d say TAA being a shite defender and in a front foot team keeping quite open actually proves the opposite of what you think it does.
You don’t have to be that good a defender when your forwards and midfielders are so good at winning the ball high up the park.